Local News

Mayor a no-show after recall

PORT ALLEN (WBRZ) - Ousted Mayor Deedy Slaugther was noticeably absent from Port Allen City Hall Monday, two days after voters recalled her from office in a historic election.

Now concerns are being raised over how payroll is going to be made this week.

"I just know she's not physically in the building today, but that's not unusual," Chief Financial Officer Audrey McCain said. "I don't know where she's at."

Department heads told News 2 they had to cancel a weekly meeting because the mayor didn't show up.

Work is underway to certify the votes from the recall election.

"The process is the Board of Elections Supervisors will go in, open up the machines, turn them on," Clerk of Court Mark Graffeo said. "The data is on the machine, we will record those numbers and bring them back to my office to certify them."

Slaughter must vacate office by next Monday. Until then, she's still the mayor.

"It is a payroll week," McCain said. "It is a concern of mine because I don't have access to ensure that happens. I have no reason to believe the mayor would not take care of that."

Already, a contingency plan is in place to get the 83 employees paid with paper checks if the mayor chooses not to process direct deposits.

Since February, the mayor has targeted CFO Audrey McCain. Slaughter fired McCain but was reinstated by a judge. The mayor then stripped McCain of her authority to sign checks and access city bank accounts. It's why payroll could be challenging this week.

"I do believe she is concerned that everybody get paid," McCain said. "I suspect sometime during the week she will take care of that and have no reason to believe anything else."

Since the recall, News 2 has tried to get Mayor Slaughter to sit down with us, but she has dodged all of our invitations. Her brother in law and Chief of Staff told News 2, he will step down once Slaughter vacates office.